


The Odd One Out

by HikariNoHimeWriter



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Discord: The Kingdom of Shipping (Dr. STONE), F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Gift Exchange, Porn with Feelings, TKSChristmasInJuly2020, TKSevents, Talking things out is important kids, TheKingdomofShipping, This writer is too anxious to wait for beta, Vaginal Sex, don't be like them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:35:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariNoHimeWriter/pseuds/HikariNoHimeWriter
Summary: Humans are not made to be alone. Family, friends, lovers; they’re always trying to fit in, to have someone to call theirs, to make that aching loneliness disappear even if just for a moment. Yuzuriha wouldn’t be surprised if that core need is the true reason legends and myths like the akai ito exist. They say it’s easy to know who’s the one tied on the other end of your red string. It’s someone who’ll love and adore you above everything, give you all they are and expect nothing in return.If such a legend is real, Yuzuriha is fairly certain who her fated person is; and it's definitely not who everyone thinks.
Relationships: Ishigami Senkuu/Ogawa Yuzuriha, Ogawa Yuzuriha & Ooki Taiju
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13
Collections: 2020 TKS Christmas in July – Gift Exchange





	The Odd One Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [5Lifelines](https://archiveofourown.org/users/5Lifelines/gifts).



> This is the first time I write anything that's not BL and I'm really pleased at how it came out. This is a gift for my dear Ray. Hope you like it!

Humans are not made to be alone. Family, friends, lovers; they’re always trying to fit in, to have someone to call theirs, to make that aching loneliness disappear even if just for a moment. Yuzuriha wouldn’t be surprised if that core need is the true reason legends and myths like the _akai ito_ exist. They say it’s easy to know who’s the one tied on the other end of your red string. It’s someone who’ll love and adore you above everything, give you all they are and expect nothing in return.

Selfless, gentle, beautiful.

Yuzuriha lost count of how many times she heard people whispering, _Taiju’s your fated one, isn’t he?_ They were friends before they could remember. If Yuzuriha as much as closes her eyes, she can still feel Taiju’s hand around her, guiding her home after a long day at elementary school. He was loud and boisterous, did his very best to meet her needs, never once lacked that gentleness that, she knows, any girl her age would die to receive.

She wants to believe that. She wants to believe that this never-ending love was hers to keep. But it isn’t. She can’t give him the love he deserves, no matter how much it pains her. She knows she needs to tell him, hope it’s not too late yet and that Taiju can find his one. The time never comes, howeverr, and Yuzuriha’s finds herself confused the day Taiju asked her to help his friend. She knew Taiju for years now. She was convinced there isn’t anything about the older boy she doesn’t know. She’s wrong, and she realizes it the moment she steps into Taiju’s classroom.

Everyone heard stories about the 6th grade boy with white and green hair. Some would tell him a mad scientist without a chance at success, while others deem him a genius ahead of his peers. Yuzuriha isn’t sure what she expected, but is sure this isn’t what she imagined. Senku is far too small for his age and a little too pale. She knows right away that he was the the kind to favor the company of a book over that of a person. Yuzuriha doesn’t give as much thought to the boy’s hair as she does to his eyes. It is the first time she sees such an intense look paired with such a disinterested expression.

Yuzuriha wants to know more about him. Is he always like that? What would make his expression change? Does he like crafts too? What tied this person to the lively Taiju? She still doesn’t know the answers to most of those questions, even if more than five years went by. She doesn’t mind it either, for it only gives her the excitement of knowing that there’s always more to know about Ishigami Senku.

Senku’s attempts at making a rocket failed more times than Yuzuriha could keep up with. She wants to help, but knows there’s only so much she could do other than trying to keep him motivated and keep doing those three dolls. But Senku never falters. He only smiles and goes right for the next one. There’s no such a thing as giving up. Science was never about making things fast, after all.

“What’s your dream, Senku-kun?” Yuzuriha asks one day.

It’s a clear spring day, with cherry blossoms falling all around them. She can’t help but feel weird in her yellow dress, yet her cheeks flush a light pink every time her gaze falls on Senku. It’s the first time she sees the boy in anything but his lab coat and school uniform. He’s beautiful.

“There.” Senku points at the sky. His other hand is still holding the _bento_ box full of _onigiri_. “One day I’ll go up and above anyone else with my old man. And it’ll be a real rocket this time.”

“Doesn’t it feel like too much?” It’s so far away... And Senku’s already going through so much just trying to make that miniature rocket work. Yuzuriha worries that this dream will crush him, body and soul one day.

“It does,” Senku agrees. He looks at her, the softest of smiles on his lips. “But that’s why I have you, Taiju and old man.” He offers her the _onigiri_ , waiting until she picks one up before continuing. “When you have a dream too have to carry alone, it’s ten billion percent easier if you have someone to shre the weight with you. It’s what makes it all so exciting.”

Yuzuriha will never forget those words. There’s something so pure and genuine in the way Senku says them that makes her want to believe them. Anything’s possible if you’re not alone and believe you can do it. _Anything_.

The day Senku’s rocket conquers the sky is a beautiful summer day. Yuzuriha can barely hold back her tears. Senku doesn’t go out of his way looking for affection. He doesn’t try to fit in like everyone else. And even then, Senku’s never hesitated to offer his hand to anyone who needed. He stands with his books and creations, alone but never lonely. Taiju’s always there for him, and so is Senku’s father.

She wants to be there for Senku too. She wants to be part of that little safe heaven Senku created for himself. She wants to give him all the love he deserves, all the love she has to give.

Yuzuriha admires him. She wonders if she, too, can have that strength, that faith that everything will be alright not because of fate and luck, but because of her own efforts. She uses it as a fuel to reach her own objectives. The cultural festival, she makes it to first place with her crafting. Her grades increase noticeably. Yuzuriha doesn’t hate her reflexion in the mirror as much as she used to.

This is not the face of the easy-going, talented and pretty girl her classmates and family made her up to be. No, this is Yuzuriha, someone who can fight for what she wants to accomplish and is accompanied by the best of friends. This is someone she, too, can love.

One thing she now knows for sure: if the _akai ito_ really exists, Senku’s her fated one. He doesn’t give her mindless, eternal love, but taught her how to love herself first. His words are always careful for he doesn’t want to hurt her. Senku never failed to cheer her up, even when Yuzuriha’s sure nothing in the world can make her feel better and stronger and _worthy_.

Selfless, gentle, beautiful—Senku’s love is all Yuzuriha could wish for... If only said love was in the way she wishes.

It’s been five years since they met now. Yuzuriha can’t help her excitement for finally joining Senku in their new highschool. She worried someone else would come during that year separated, that it’d be already too late for them when she reached him again. Those worries are soothed the moment she opens the lab’s door to see Senku grinning like a maniac at his new invention. His classmates are almost piled up at the farthest corner from him and the grotesque machine. Only Taiju stands by Senku’s side, his body almost towering over the scientist.

Taiju’s the first to see her. Yuzuriha feels something inside her twist. It reminds her of those whispered words on their middle school. _Taiju’s the one, isn’t he?_ That’s not the look she wants to receive, not from Taiju. She can’t give him that love back, for it all belongs to Senku.

She still smiles, as bright and warm as she can, holding up a wrapped _bento_ box. “I brought food for everyone!”

The reaction is immediate. Taiju and the boys are moved to tears as she places the box on one of the unused tables. They hum in delight at the colored _dango_ she made, praising her to no end. Her eyes, however, are drawn to Senku, who’s munching quietly on his share.

“So?” She can’t stop that anxiety creeping up on her body. Is it good enough? Is he pleased? Can she make Senku as happy as she made those boys?

Senku smiles at her, softer than the smiles he gives to other people, the one thing Yuzuriha holds on to keep her hope. “Your fated person is really lucky.”

Yuzuriha chuckles, her cheeks warm from the indirect compliment. “I thought Senku-kun didn’t believe in those things,” she says idly.

“I believe in science, and with science nothing happens just because! Besides, isn’t your fated person the one _you_ feel is the right one instead of what whatever red string tells you?” Something shifts in Senku’s eyes. It’s something dark and almost sad; Yuzuriha wishes she could get rid of whatever is bothering her loved one. It’s gone just a moment later and that shit eating grin is back on his face. “Big oaf really won the lottery with this one.”

Yuzuriha doesn’t pay attention to Taiju’s flustered yells. Senku’s wrong. For once, he’s so utter and completely wrong she doesn’t even know how make him realize _it’s you!_

She feels she shouldn’t be surprised when Taiju comes one day asking her to meet him under the school’s camphor tree. The weather is far warmer then when school year started. Summer is approaching faster than they could prepare themselves for. Yuzuriha wishes she had brought money to buy an ice cream—and maybe one extra for Senku. There’s a crack on one of the tree’s lowest branches. Yuzuriha’s tying her scarf over it before she can think about it. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll help that one branch to stay firm throughout the next weeks.

“Yuzuriha!” Taiju’s voice reach her before the sounds of his footsteps. There’s a fire in his eyes, brighter than ever.

Yuzuriha feels that familiar cold creeping up her stomach. She knows what this meeting is about now. It pains her to know there’s no way to avoid it anymore, that Taiju certainly doesn’t expect anything but acceptance. Taiju’s still her childhood friend and she treasures him just as much as she treasures Senku. It’s just not in the way he wants here, and it’s there that all pain and heartbreak lies.

She smiles at him. It never felt so strained before, hiding her ultimate desire to hide somewhere where she can just cry her heart out. Taiju doesn’t notice it. Or maybe he does, and is just too afraid to think about what that could mean. Taiju may not understand the way numbers and arts work, but he’s not an idiot. He understands the human’s heart better than anyone.

“Yuzuriha,” he repeats her name and it almost feels like the sound of it alone gives him courage. Yuzuriha wishes it wasn’t _her_ name that gave him that strength. “I-I... The past five years... No, before that...” He stops for a moment, his hands closing on his sides. “I... Yuzuriha, I... I really... I _love_ you!”

 _Ah_. There it is. Yuzuriha takes a moment to look at Taiju and _see_ him. He’s tall and imponenet, yet his innocence makes him look much more friendly and safe than other guys their age. His cheeks are red. Yuzuriha wonders if it’s out of sheer embarrassment or if it really took him that much effort to say those three words.

“I’m sorry, Taiju-kun.” She can’t find it in herself to say anything else. She dreamt about hearing those words so many times, but it was always Senku’s voice, his smile making her heart beat faster. Yuzuriha hugs herself, her lips quivering, “Really... I’m sorry.”

Yuzuriha’s mother once said the skies reflect one’s state of mind. Maybe she’s right. The sky turns into the darkest shade of grey by the time her classes end. Each thunder is a crack on Taiju’s pure, broken heart. The rain falls like the tears he couldn’t hold back.

 _“Who?”_ His voice still echoes in her mind. She couldn’t answer him. She still can’t. Yuzuriha’s scared of what would happen if she told him. What if he and Senku fight? What if Senku takes Taiju’s side? What if her love, nurtured through all those five years, _disgusts_ him?

She doesn’t have an umbrella with her. She doesn’t mind the water slowly soaking her to the bone. It’s easier to hide the tears under the rain. Yuzuriha doesn’t need to bother with strangers staring at her or classmates asking questions this way. It’s better this way. She knows this, but at the same time, she never felt so small and disheartened before.

She bites back a yell of frustration when she sees the train station closed. People murmur around her, trying to guess what’s happening. Some say they’re doing an emergencial maintenance on the rails, others say it’s some kind of police operation and there’s those who bet there’s a terrorist who’s scared of rain. Yuzuriha’s body is shaking now, a mix of anger and frustration and sadness boiling inside her. She can’t go home. She can’t get away from this place and breathe, find her peace back.

Yuzuriha blinks her tears away, and then there’s no water falling on her anymore. She turns around, eyes wide as she wonders and _hopes_ —

It’s Taiju. He, too, never looked so small before, holding his umbrella over her head as he soaks from head to toe. There’s pain in his eyes, but there’s also that never-ending kindness Yuzuriha grew up with. He smiles at her, strained and not nearly as bright as it usually is, “Senku’ll be sad if you catch a cold.”

Yuzuriha bites her lips. Taiju isn’t stupid. Of course he’d figure it out. He’s the one who knows her the best, after all. He’s also the one who knows Senku the best. “You,” she pauses, unsure, “do you think... I have any chance?”

Taiju doesn’t answer for a good while. His voice sounds low and serious when he speaks, “You’ll have to ask him to know.”

Yuzuriha wishes she had the courage to do just that. The words are always in the back of her mind, taunting her, but there’s a lump in her throat that doesn’t let them come out. It doesn’t help that Senku barely talked to her at all since she rejected Taiju. His answers are distant and careful, he flinches every time she as much as reaches to get something near him. She can’t tell if it’s out of disgust or something else. All she knows is that Senku could very well rip her heart out and it wouldn’t hurt as much as that stupid distance.

It all comes crashing down on her birthday. Fall has always been Yuzuriha’s favorite season. She loves how the leaves turn different shades of green, yellow, red and orange, covering the entire city akin to the cherry blossoms in spring; just _oh_ so much prettier and alive. This year her mother decided to decorate the apartment in those very same colors, painting balloons with maple leaves and putting up a panel of all of Yuzuriha’s photos with the autumn as background.

She loves all of it. Yuzuriha knows she couldn’t have asked for better parents. She does everything in her power to make sure their effort is worth it. Yuzuriha can’t remember the last time she dressed up like this. She bites her lip, painted with light pink lisptick, as she takes in the dark red that colors her dress. There are delicate silver stars around her hip and down the skirt, becoming bigger the closer they are to the hem. The dress is a little tighter than what she’s used to, going just a few inches above her knee, but the image on the mirror makes it worth it.

It’s almost the same color as Senku’s eyes. Her hands close at her sides, a sudden sense of anxiety flooding into her once again. Yuzuhira’s unsure if Senku will come. The message she sent him still goes unread despite a whole week having passed by. All her other friends, both from the science and crafting club, confirmed presence. Even Taiju, the one with the most valid reason to not want to see her again, is coming to celebrate with her family.

She shakes her head. Thinking like this won’t change anything. All it can do is make her feel worse than she already does and that’s the last thing Yuzuriha needs right now. It’s her birthday. Her parents worked so hard to make this party for her. She just can’t ruin all this because of her own struggles. And so she walks out of her room. It’s difficult to walk on high heels, but she does her best to make it work. Her mother smiles at her, beckons her closer to take _as many pictures as my princess deserves!_

Yuzuriha finds it easier to forget when she leans into her mother’s embrace, when her friends put music and shower her with never-ending love and gifts. She jokes and laugh and dances and, for the briefest of moments, she’s happy. But one look to the door, to the one who’s not there and most likely won’t show up, and her heart aches with longing again. She can’t stop a tear from falling when they sing her happy birthday; it’s easily brushed off, however, as her being too happy to contain.

It’s only then that she realizes how great a liar she became. Is this why Senku doesn’t want to talk to her anymore? He always took pride on the fact that science never lies—having a friend who can lie so easily must be disgusting for him. So, _so_ disgusting, how can Yuzuriha even hope to be loved by such a wonderful person?

“I’m sorry,” Taiju whispers to her when all is said and done and he, too, is ready to leave.

Yuzuriha doesn’t say anything, knowing there’ll be no holding back if she does. She forces herself to smile until there’s no one left and she can finally hide in the quiet comfort of her room. Only then she allows the tears to fall. Yuzuriha holds a pillow tight against her chest to muffle her sobs, only barely noticing the doorbell ringing. Yuzuriha doesn’t do more than hold her pillow closer, hoping that, whoever it is, will leave soon enough. She’s sure her eyes are red and her hair falls out of the intricate bun her father made when someone knocks on her door. Her whole body freezes. This can’t be happening, her parents can’t—

“Yuzu?” It’s her father. His voice sounds softer than any other man she knows, gentle and warm. She can see his shadow under the door, the discomfort obvious in the way he shifts his weight from one leg to the other. “It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it. Just... Someone just left this here on our door and it’s addressed to you.” There’s a pause, long and heavy. Whatever hope he had of gaining an answer from her disappears in the face of her silence. “I’ll leave this here. Hope at least your dreams will be happy.”

Yuzuriha closes her eyes shut. She failed to hide it in the end. Her sorrow showed to the only two people she _needed_ to be happy for. Her body trembles and a new wave of tears falls as she stands from her bed. The beautiful dress is all wrinkled now and the heels nowhere to be seen. She opens the door, checking both sides of the corridor before bending down to get a small black box left by her father.

It’s light, almost ridiculously so. There’s a beautiful bowl with a yellow tag on it. _For Yuzuriha_ , it says, but there’s no hint as to who sent it. Yuzuriha frowns, walking back info her room and sitting at the edge of her bed. She unties the ribbon and opens the box. Her mouth falls open at its content: it’s a golden pendant. It has a flat oval shape with small cherry blossoms on the front. Yuzuriha takes it into her hand, fiddling with the piece until it finally opens. The pendant divides into three repartitions, two of which are already occupied. The first has a photo of Yuzuriha during the crafting competition she won some years ago; the second is a photo of Taiju and her parents. Their smiles are so bright enough she can see them clearly despite how small the photo is.

Yuzuriha knows exactly who did it.

Her body moves before she can even think about it. Her hands hastily work on putting the pendant on her neck as she hurries outside her room and her apartment. She doesn’t care about waiting for the elevator, dashing down the stars as a million thoughts cross her mind. She can barely breathe when she reaches the street. The wind is far too cold for her, in nothinhg more than a thin dress, but Yuzuriha doesn’t let it stop her. It hasn’t been so long, he can’t be far yet—Yuzuriha runs more than she ever did, uncaring for the numbing pain spreading through her bare feet. But her father said there was no one when he opened the door, what if he decided to take a taxi or a bus or...? No, no, no! She can’t think like this, she just needs to—

Yuzuriha’s heart skips a beat when she sees him. Not even the darkness and the distance can hide that unique hair and confident posture. She bites her lip, eyes burning with more tears threatening to fall. “ _Senku-kun!_ ”

Time itself stops when Senku pauses in his walk. Yuzuriha’s feet move before she can stop them. Her hold on the necklace tightens as she takes in the figure of Senku. Did he grow taller again? Everyone’s always teasing him for his short height compared to the other students, but for Yuzuriha he was always tall and elegant.

Senku turns around slowly, as though he wasn’t running away from her, as though he doesn’t have a care in the world. It makes Yuzuriha’s blood boil in shame and rage because _how dare?_ She’s been crying all this time because of him, because of the things he refused to tell her, the distance that slowly killed her inside.

He looks away, a frown marring his face. Yuzuriha ever wanted to slap someone as much as she does now, but even that anger dissolves with Senku’s words: “You’ll catch a cold.”

She blinks, confusion clear all over her face, before something warm falls on her shoulders. Senku’s coat, the one she bought him on his last birthday, lies warm and soft against her skin. Yuzuriha sniffs. Senku’s scent feels comforting in a way she can’t quite explain. That small act of kindness is almost like a promise. _It’ll be alright now, we’ll go back to normal._

“You weren’t supposed to be here.”

Yuzuriha sobs. This is not what she wanted to hear, not from Senku, not now. She doesn’t care if her appearance is a mess or that crying more will only make it worse. It doesn’t matter anymore, not if Senku cares so little about her. “Why?” The question comes out in a broken whispers.

“Go home,” he says instead of answering. Yuzuriha hates the edge on his voice, the absolute nervousness and mild irritation that was never directed at her before. “And the coat, just keep it. It’s better this way.”

Senku turns around again. His pace isn’t calm as before; this time it really feels like he’s running away, from her and everything they built together over the past six years. Yuzuriha hugs herself, tears falling one after another. People say nothing can come between those united by the _akai ito_. If that legend is true, if Senku’s her fated one, then why is all of this happening? Why can’t they be happy together?

_Why won’t you love me?_

There’s whistle, cutting the silence lie a knife. Yuzuriha freezes in place, suddenly all too aware of her state. Alone, in nothing but a thin dress and a coat too big to belong to her, kneeling on the ground with a tear-stained face—that’s all the three men across the street see right now. She wishes she had changed her clothes as soon as the party ended, but knows it’s too late to go back now. Those man will only come closer and closer and what can she do against them? As soon as the light turns green, there’ll be nothing preventing them from reaching her.

She needs to get away from here, go somewhere she’ll be safe. Her house... But how can she go back looking like this? Yuzuriha can’t bring more worries to her parents, _she just can’t_. A whimper escapes her when someone tugs her arm harshly, forcing her back to her feet. Yuzuriha wants to scream and complain and run away, but the hold on her arm only tightens. It’s then that she notices the many calouses covering this person’s fingers and how rough their palm is. She knows this hand, she held onto it too many times to forget.

But why? Why is Senku back, why is he taking her with him? He already made it clear enough that he doesn’t want her, that this is not where she should be. And, more than that, why is her heart beating so fast? Did it not have enough already? How much more pain will it need to take to learn its lesson?

She bites her lip, following him in silence. She knows where they’re going. Senku’s house isn’t far away from here, after all. It’s certainly closer than Yuzuriha’s apartment and a safer route than going back to where those men are. Her heart is still filled with shame at the names they called her when Senku dragged her away. This is not a memory she wants to keep. Not at all.

Yuzuriha knows for a fact that Senku lives basically alone. His father’s been absent for a long time now due to his training as an astronaut. Yuzuriha knows that’s also part of the reason why Senku wants to go to space so much one day: he wants to feel the same things his father is feeling right now, see everything he is seeing and know all the things only experience can teach someone.

It’s still a shock to come to an empty, dark place. Senku moves around with ease, turning on the lights and making himself comfortable. Yuzuriha remains quiet, looking at her surrounds in awe. It’s the first time she comes to Senku’s apartment; part of her wishes the circumstances were different, that this could’ve been a happy moment in her life instead of what it is. She startles out of her thoughts when Senku appears on the entrance again, a pair of slippers and a towel in hands.

“I’ll see if there’s anything fitting your size. Just get yourself warm,” he says. Senku looks down, scratching the back of his neck, as though unsure what to do.

Yuzuriha looks away from him, nodding slowly as she slips her pained feet into the slippers. Did she really run so much? Everything is little more than a blur in her mind. She reaches for the towel and her fingers brush against Senku’s. It’s enough to make her cheeks warm. “Thank you.”

Under Senku’s quiet commands, Yuzuriha makes her way to the only bathroom in the small apartment. She doesn’t think much of the bedroom right across it, unable to discern the shadowed forms from where she is. She just wants a break, and a warm shower sounds nice right now. Yuzuriha barely gives any mind to the door, far too tired to think about locking the door, only pushing it enough so she can call it _closed_.

Yuzuriha sighs as she slips out of her dress and underwear. Her entire body is still shivering from the cold and she flinches when the hot water starts to fall on her. Yuzuriha doesn’t take off the necklace. The feeling is comforting enough for her to want it to stay. She closes her eyes and allows herself to just relax. _What an amazing birthday it was_ , she thinks to herself. All ruined because of feelings she knows she isn’t supposed to feel, for someone who didn’t deem her worthy of his presence. But that’s the same Senku who came back and took her away from harm’s way despite whatever he said before. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He still cares enough to want her in safety; if not emotional, at least physically.

A shudder runs down her body. She can’t understand him. Senku always took pride in being a reasonable, direct person, but right now everything he does and says is just so contradictory she wonders what the hell is really happening. Perhaps this is her chance to ask and force him to answer? Here, in this empty apartment where he can’t run away from her? Can she finally say what she’s feeling and still leave the place with dignity?

She reaches for the soap. It smells of sweet fennel, fresh and pure. Yuzuriha can’t stop the blush rising in her cheeks. This is Senku’s scent, the soap he uses everyday. Her hands tremble as she rubs the soap against her arms and shoulders. She watches in wonder as small bubbles form on her skin, from her fingers to her chest, breasts, belly and even more down... It feels so wrong, but not in a bad way; Yuzuriha presses her thighs together, biting her lip to stop any embarrassing sound from coming out. She’s a pervert, one of the worst kind. To think that she’s feeling this way from something so small...

She startles at the sound of a gasp. The soap falls on the floor, sliding all the way to the now open door. Yuzuriha freezes as she takes in the sight of a wide eyed, equally frozen Senku. He’s carrying a pair of yellow shorts and dark blue shirt; his fingers shake around the fabric. He doesn’t look away from her, his eyes going up and down her body with a look she’s never seen before. Yuzuriha feels mortified at the realization that she _likes_ this expression, that she wants him to look at her. She doesn’t try to cover up. There’s no need to. Nothing will change the fact that Senku already saw everything there is to see, nor that Yuzuriha wishes he’ll look a little more, that he’ll come closer and touch her...

A phone rings in the distance. Yuzuriha gasps as the spell breaks slowly. Senku doesn’t say anything, only hastily putting the clothes with the towel and closing the door behind him with a loud bang. She gulps, realization downing upon her. That wasn’t the look of someone seeing a person they hate or are disgusted by. No, that was desire, raw and pure, a perfect mirror image of the same lust running inside her and that she tried, _oh_ , so hard to forget.

She turns off the shower, drying off and dressing as fast as she can. Her steps echo in the corridor as she strides towards the kitchen. Yuzuriha can hear Senku’s voice now. There’s an edge to it, as though he’s doing his best to hold onto his very sanity. His eyes meet hers, sharper than ever before. He takes a step back, offering her the phone.

“Your mother,” he explains, and his voice sounds even more rough, “tell her to come pick her up.”

Yuzuriha takes the phone. She does her best not to feel bad when Senku increases the distance between them. She places the phone on her ear, “Mom?”

“Thank god, Yuzu! What were you thinking, leaving like that so late?! What if something happened to you?” Yuzuru almost chokes on her own words; it’s clear as day that she was crying.

“Sorry, mom,” Yuzuriha apologies. She’s truly ashamed of herself for acting the way she did, but she can’t say she regrets it. No, she definitely _doesn’t_ regret it. “Uh, it’s a little late for you two to leave the house driving, so... I’ll stay here for the night.” She ignores Senku’s sharp inhale. There’s no turning back now. “Yeah, he’s okay with it. We need to talk things out, anyway. Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning. Love you, mom.”

Yuzuriha ends the call, turning to look at Senku. Is he upset? Frustrated? Angry? She can’t tell. He’s not looking at her. But it’s clear that this isn’t what he wanted, especially given the way he crossed his arms over his chest. A heavy sigh leaves Senku and he moves to open the refrigerator.

“Well,” he starts, picking up an instant noodle box, “this is all I got. You’ll have to quit your diet for the night.” His voice sounds dry despite the obvious sarcasm in his words.

“That’s not what I want, and you know that, Senku-kun,” Yuzuriha retorts, a frown on her face. Her words make Senku go still for a moment. He puts the box back in the refrigerator before fully turning to look at her. “First you just straight up ignore me and now act like I’m better off?”

“What do you want, then? _Talk_? There’s nothing to talk.” Senku’s eyes never looked shaper before. Yuzuriha feels as though they can see her very soul, all her secrets and desires.

“You don’t want to? Isn’t that why you went to my house and left this there?” She points at the necklace she’s using. Senku’s gaze falls to the pendant before he looks back at her eyes again.

“I bought that before. It’d be ten billion percent a waste if I didn’t give it to you.” He bites his lip, “We never owed each other anything to begin with. I have nothing to explain or apology for. You’re just wasting your time.”

“Excuse me?” Yuzuriha’s entire body is filled with pure anger now. “So those five years meant nothing to you? Really? Just... What the fuck?” Senku did it. He really pushed her past all her limits. Yuzuriha can’t even feel bad for the curse that just left her mouth. “For someone who says he can’t do anything alone, you sure don’t give a damn about your friends!”

“Oh, I promise you it’d be far easier if I _didn’t_! Or you think you’re the only one with problems now?” Senku snarls. Yuzuriha grits her teeth, something new and unexpected running through her veins. For every step she takes back, Senku takes two forward. Yuzuriha’s breath stutters when her back meets the wall. There’s nowhere to run now, not with Senku less than a meter away and looking so stunningly furious she can’t even think _why_ she should run. “All you needed to do was say _yes_! That was all you needed to do and nothing of this would be happening now!”

Yuzuriha blinks in confusion. What is Senku talking about? Say _yes_... to what? Yuzuriha’s mind runs a mile a second as she searches for an answer, anything to help her understand what’s going on now. Her gaze falls to Senku’s hand, closed into tight fists on his sides. She thinks, when did Senku start to distance himself, what answer she could’ve possibly given to trigger that...

She gasps, eyes widening in realization. All anger flows out of her body, leaving behind just a deep numbing feeling. “Is this because of Taiju-kun?” It all started when she rejected Taiju’s feelings. But what does it have to do with them? And, despite everything, Yuzuriha and Taiju are still friends.

She knows she’s right when Senku looks away again. He blinks rapidly, his breath stuttering as well. He’s not crying, not yet, but Yuzuriha knows he’s close to. The image of Senku standing on the bathroom’s door flashes before her eyes. Those are not the eyes of hate, but rather...

Yuzuriha lunges forward, wrapping her arms around Senku’s waist. A choked sob echoes in the kitchen, but it’s not Yuzuriha’s. She can’t stop the worry churning inside her. Just how much is he holding back, hiding, and for how long? Yuzuriha tenses up when Senku holds her back. His hands close on the fabric of her shirt, the grip almost desperate as he burrows his face on her shoulder.

“You were perfect for each other,” he murmurs, muffled against her skin. “A pair fated to be together. Big oaf wouldn’t stop talking about how perfect and kind and beautiful you are and how much he loved you... But I knew all that. I knew everything... Because I was the same. I felt the same.” Yuzuriha gulps at the quiet confession. Her eyes burn again, but she refuses to shed any other tear, not now that she’s finally hearing the words she always wanted to hear. “I loved the same girl as my best friend. But he came far before me... It just felt wrong. I was always so disgusted at myself. I couldn’t stay between you two... But then you... you said _no_ and I wasn’t even sad for him. I was just a monster. His pain meant I had a chance, but... How could I think that way?”

Yuzuriha holds him tighter. Tears fall on her shoulder, seeping into her shirt. She takes a deep breath, “You know... I’m as guilty as you, Senku-kun. I was always too scared of saying the truth and putting an end to that. Because everyone kept saying we were destined, I could never muster up the courage to tell Taiju-kun my true feelings... Until that day.”

“Yuzuriha, you...” Senku breathes out. He’s shivering against her, and for the first time Yuzuriha thinks he looks small.

“I love you.” The words leave her just like that. Yuzuriha feels nothing but overwhelming relief and a sense of happiness for finally letting them go. Senku’s breath stutters and he moves away just enough to look at her face. There’s no darkness in his eyes now. Yuzuriha wonders if Senku ever looked so vulnerable and open before. He touches her face, his rough fingers warm against her skin. The touch feels so soft and gentle, almost like she’s too precious he’s afraid to break her someway. She smiles, “I love you, Senku-kun. Always did, and always will.”

Yuzuriha had thought many times how her first kiss would be. In her ideal world, it’d be after in a special place after a pleasurable date. Senku would tilt her chin up and press his lips against hers, his other hand winding up around her hips. This is not her ideal world, though, but it feels so much better. Senku’s lips feel as warm as his hand, gentle yet demanding in a way Yuzuriha could’ve never imagined. She wraps her arms around his neck, a soft moan escaping her lips when Senku brings her closer, chest and hips pressed together.

That small opening is enough for Senku to try something more. Yuzuriha shivers when his tongue brushes against her lips and she opens her mouth without a second thought. Senku tastes like salt and chocolate. Tears and the comfort of a cup of warm cocoa in a cold fall afternoon. Yuzuriha wants more. She _needs_ more, everything he’s willing to give her.

“Yuzu...” Her name sounds completely different in Senku’s voice. It’s a breathless whisper, one that speaks of lustful promises and sinful pleasure. “Are you sure?” Yuzuriha bites her lip, nodding. Senku frowns, “I won’t stop. If we start, I’m ten billion percent taking this to the end. No turning back. So, are you sure? Is this what you want?”

Yuzuriha kisses him again. She runs one of her hands from Senku’s shoulder and down his arm until she holds his hand. Yuzuriha guides it to her thigh and then up and under her large shorts. Senku pants into the kiss, touching her skin with renewed want.

A yelp escapes her when Senku suddenly lifts her from the floor. She wraps both arms and legs around him as he makes his way out of the kitchen. Yuzuriha can feel Senku’s erection against her, pressing against her still covered entrance. It’s too much. She’s feeling hot again, even hotter than she did during the shower. It’s happening. This is real, Senku likes her, he wants her, _will take her._

Senku doesn’t care about turning on the lights of his bedroom. He places Yuzuriha on the bed with utmost care. She can see his eyes under the moonlight; they’re so gentle and warm and full of love Yuzuriha fails to catch her breath.

“So beautiful,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss her cheek, her jaw, the curve of her neck. “So perfect.” Senku kisses her collarbone, bites on it gently before sucking the place. Yuzuriha feels an urge to close her legs to alleviate the sudden pressure, but it’s impossible with Senku lying between them. Senku moves his hips, rubbing his erection against her. Yuzuriha whimpers, which is met with a low chuckle from Senku. “You better be ready. I’ll make you see stars, dear.”

The endearment makes her bite her lip. Yuzuriha can feel her pussy getting wet now, the colorless liquid seeping into the fabric of her shorts. She doesn’t offer any resistance when he takes her shirt off, even less when he pulls said shorts away. There’s nothing hiding Yuzuriha’s body now. She’s all Senku’s to see and touch and keep.

Yuzuriha doesn’t try to stop the moans that leave her at each kiss, each calloused touch to her body. She reaches between her legs, massages her clit for any form of relief. Senku doesn’t stop her, seems to enjoy it even as he takes one perk nipple into his mouth. Yuzuriha tugs at his shirt until he leans back enough for her to pull it out. She shakes at sight of Senku’s naked torso. He’s all lean muscles and soft curves. He’s perfect for her and she couldn’t want him any different.

“I want you,” her voice sounds rough and breathless. “Please, Senku-kun.”

“So early?” There’s hint of teasing that makes her shift almost uncomfortably. “This won’t do, Yuzu. It’s not enough for me, y’know.”

“We have time,” she argues softly, spreading her legs more as an invitation. “Senku-kun can have me as many times he wants, however he wants.”

Her words seem to do the trick. Senku’s breath stutters, a soft _fuck_ leaving his lips as he works on his pants. Yuzuriha watches him in fascination. She bites her lip when his cock is finally free. The head is read and a bead of precum leaks from the slit. Senku holds it in his hand, giving a few strokes as he takes in Yuzuriha’s expression. His other hand reaches for the nightstand beside the bed. He takes a bottle and a small package from there. Yuzuriha’s face goes completely red as she realizes it’s a condom.

“You’ll have to be patience. I don’t want to hurt you one millimeter,” he says, placing both on the bed. Senku opens the bottle’s lid, pouring a generous quantity of its content onto his fingers before putting it aside. He smiles, placing one gentle kiss on her lips before slipping down her body. Yuzuriha tenses up at the feeling of his first finger against her entrance. Senku gently sushes her, rubbing her thigh to comfort her. “That’s it, my good girl.”

The praise makes her relax a little. Yuzuriha reaches for her breast, playing with the now puffy nipples as Senku works the first finger inside. He leans down, his warm breath hitting her vagina in waves. Yuzuriha moans loudly at the first lick. This, this is...!

Senku makes a sound of satisfaction. He licks and kisses and sucks her clitoris as his fingers penetrates her one after the other. Yuzuriha barely realizes there’s already three inside her with how good she feels. She’s so close now, just a little more and...

“Oh, no, no, no,” Senku softly berates her, stopping everything he’s doing. Yuzuriha glares at him, suddenly all too aware of the emptiness inside her. He arches over her again, sucking and biting her neck, “If you go, we’ll go together.”

She nods in understanding. Yuzuriha shivers when Senku’s cock brushes against her entrance. He presses inside, stretching her far more than his fingers ever could. Yuzuriha can’t pay any mind for the coldness of the condom, too distracted with the feeling of being so full and warm. She does her best to relax just as she did before but there’s no stopping the tears that fall from her eyes. Senku kisses her tears away, whispering words of praise and comfort but never, never stopping.

Senku moans whan he’s all the way inside. His heavy breath and the way his body is tense against her—it’s all too clear for Yuzuriha how much he’s holding back from just moving and getting his own release. She loves him all the more for this.

“It’s okay,” she whispers after a while, “you can move now, Senku-kun.”

He shivers, then nods. Yuzuriha’s mouth falls open at the feeling of Senku’s cock moving in and out of her. Her world narrows down until there is nothing but Senku, all over and inside her, gentle kisses and soft promises. Yuzuriha pulls him into a kiss, and another, and another, until she can’t tell them apart anymore. She wraps her legs around Senku’s waist, the new position making him go even deeper within her. She shudders, a wave of pleasure crashing down on her. “Senku-kun, I...”

“Me too,” he whispers, lips brushing against hers. Senku smiles at her once more, intertwining their fingers, “Now. Together.”

It’s all it takes for Yuzuriha to release. Senku’s lips are over hers again, muffling her moans as he, too, reaches his orgasm. They stay like that, a panting mess on the bed, riding off the pleasure and trying to catch their breath. Yuzuriha blinks, only then realizing she’s crying again. She chuckles. “We’re two idiots.”

Senku huffs in amusement. “Ten billion percent the stupidiest out there.” There’s a moment of blissful silence. Yuzuriha is almost drifting off to sleep when Senku speaks again, so low she almost doesn’t hear him, “What about big oaf?”

“He already knows about my feelings,” she confesses. Senku sucks in a breath, looking at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Maybe he knows about yours, too.”

“So that’s how it is, huh,” he mumbles to himself.

Senku disentangles himself from Yuzuriha, careful not to let the contents of his condom spill as he takes it off. Yuzuriha watches as he discards it at the trashcan under his study desk before he comes back to lie with her. A contented sound leaves her as she makes herself comfortable in Senku’s arms. “I thought you wanted more,” she comments, genuine interest in her voice.

“That can wait. I just want you now,” he answers truthfully. Yuzuriha smiles, a soft blush covering her cheeks at the honesty in his words despite what they just did. “Besides, I feel my beautiful girlfriend deserves her beauty sleep.”

 _Girlfriend._ Yuzuriha blushes even more at the word. “Good night, Senku-kun. I love you,” she whispers, closing her eyes as she falls into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Senku smiles in the dark. “Love you too, Yuzu.”

Humans are not made to be alone. Family, friends, lovers; they’re always trying to fit in, to have someone to call theirs, to make that aching loneliness disappear even if just for a moment. Yuzuriha doesn’t know if the _akai ito_ really exists. But, if it does, her fated person is the wonderful boy named Senku, the odd one out that stole her heart away and gave her far more than she could’ve asked for.

It’s perfect. And, for now, it’s all she needs.

**Author's Note:**

> Join us in our [TKS Discord server!](https://discord.gg/f77J7hM) All ships are welcome and we have events all year long as well as a lovely community!


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